Oven door steel thickness question. Pompeii Oven Construction Discuss Oven door steel thickness question. in the Pizza Oven Design and Installation forums; Anyone who used a steel door: How thick is your steel? I made a wood door but I want to ...

[KEmerson]

Anyone who used a steel door: How thick is your steel? I made a wood door but I want to place a piece of steel on the oven side of the door. I was thinking either 1/4" or 1/8". Any suggestions? Thanks.

[Les]

I made mine out of .062 aluminum and it works great.

[KEmerson]

Les, no concerns for some sort of aluminum toxicity? I think there's a thread somewhere in here that discussions metal types and heating them. I'll look further, but I'm wondering if you considered that. I did have a piece of aluminum flashing - no idea what it measures to be - attached to the wood door's inside, but a friend asked about toxic gasses.

[Les]

There has been a lot of discussion about the use of aluminum. I think the general consensus is that there is no harm. I've been using cooking ware made out of it for years.

Les...

[splatgirl]

I think mine is made from 12 or 14 gauge. Sheet steel wrapped/welded around leftover insulation board so the overall door is ~2" thick.
In comparison, 1/4" thickness you mention would be equivalent to like 2 gauge, 1/8" is like 11ga.

I personally would NOT use aluminum, but I also never let aluminum foil touch food directly because of the same instability issues (and maybe that says I'm paranoid).
Among other things, I use my door to block off 2/3 or so of the opening when I am firing which I find really helps the oven get pizza-hot faster, and the door itself gets VERY hot, even on the outside/through the insulation.

[KEmerson]

Maybe I could have explained that the door I have is made of 2x4 oak that I put together but because the oak was till so green there are now huge gaps between each piece. It's ok to a point but when I want to seal off the opening to do breads it sure lets in a lot of cool air (or lets out hot). So I placed flashing on the inside just to block the gaps. I don't really need anything very thick, I think. Just a solution to those gaps. I hope I've uploaded a photo of the door before the gaps.
Thanks,
Kim

[dmun]

If aluminum oxide was poisonous we would all be in trouble: What do you think the active ingredient in our firebrick floors is?

Your door is really handsome: why not spring for a piece of copper flashing to line it with? You can wrap it around the edge, and tack it on the side. Quarter inch steel is going to be really heavy to move in and out.

[KEmerson]

dmun, you're tantalizing me with that suggestion. I might not sleep tonight just spending time with that thought. I guess I should thank you.
Thank you,
Kim